Principal Effectiveness: State-Recommended Model

Overview

Building on previous work, South Dakota’s Commission on Teaching and Learning has developed principal standards and a model system for evaluating principals that includes a focus on both Professional Practices and Student Growth. The Professional Practice Rating and Student Growth Rating are combined to form the Summative Effectiveness Rating using a summative rating matrix. The three performance categories are Below Expectations, Meets Expectations, and Exceeds Expectations. The resources at the bottom provide an overview of the recommended system.

Implementation

SY 2014-15 and SY 2015-16 are learning years with full implementation beginning in SY 2016-17.

For SY 2015-16, school districts have the following options regarding implementation of principal effectiveness systems:

1) Full implementation of the state-recommended principal evaluation system

OR Implementation of an alternative system aligned to the state model (crosswalk)

2) Planning, training and capacity building for full implementation in SY 2016-17

Using SY 2015-16 for planning/capacity building
Districts that choose to use SY 2015-16 as a planning, training and capacity building year will be required to submit a plan demonstrating how the district will build capacity and train staff during SY 2015-16, in order to be fully implementing by the start of SY 2016-17. The plan will specifically need to address the use of both professional practices and student growth. The action plan is due on June 30, 2015. Click here to download the plan.

Using an alternative system (crosswalk)
Districts may choose to use their own systems of principal evaluation aligned to the state model. Through a crosswalk process, districts must demonstrate that their system aligns to the South Dakota Framework for Effective Principals and includes a measure of student growth.